A second chance

'I used to have a lot of debt, now I am a home owner.''Finally I’m able to help my kid with his homework.''Because nowadays I actually understand what I’m eating, I managed to lose 30 kilos.'These are just a few statements from people who had the courage to commit to improving their reading, writing and arithmetic skills in their adult life. In order to get by in our society, these skills are crucial. In the Netherlands there are 2.5 million adults with literacy problems who lack these basic skills.

The Reading & Writing Foundation brings literacy problems to the attention of both the general public and politicians, as well as offering nationwide support to hundreds of municipalities, institutions, companies, teachers and volunteers in the education sector. The result: happiness, health and new opportunities for more than 15,000 people every year. For more information, visit: readingandwriting.eu.

To get an impression of how low literacy skills impact the lives of people close to your home, this video tells The story of Lisa.